cutting stainless

[Pete8686]

So, I bought a ss boka, but the design is flawed. The bottom slant plate does not have a notch cut into it. I've managed to pull off 95% at a very slow rate but would like to rectify this problem before my next run. My question is how hard would it be to bend the bottom plate notch after I cut it. My plan is to cut two straight cuts maybe 3 mm and then bend it downwards. I realize this is not ideal but it has to be better than the way it is now

[Urrazeb]

That notch wont speed things up I wouldn't think. AFAIK it's there to ensure the overflow goes down the center of the packing mingling with the upcoming vapours, as opposed to just running down the side of the column.

I would think only purity will be affected (improved) but if your already pulling 95% you can't get much betyer than that!!

Bokas are notoriously slow performers as well

I may be wrong re: notch = speed. I have never made nor ran a boka

[Pete8686]

Thanks mate :handgestures-thumbupleft: I just assumed I would get more reflux with a notch as the reflux of the distillate would be more efficient travelling down the packing properly and I would be able to collect slightly more while keeping the high percentage. I've just made my packing a bit tighter and put some copper mesh in it today. In the middle of a cleaning run with a litre of feints and about 10l of water. I will find out this after noon if the more efficient packing helps speed things up :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[MacStill]

The tab will definitely help with speed, you should expect 800ml to 1 litre per hour of 95% from a 2" boka.

All the little things count with stills like these, if your reflux is streaming down the column walls instead of mingling with rising vapors you will definitely be losing efficiency which will effect speed.

[Urrazeb]

All the little things count with stills like these, if your reflux is streaming down the column walls instead of mingling with rising vapors you will definitely be losing efficiency which will effect speed.

Well that makes perfect sense :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I'd be interested to see what a difference just this little mod does to the output if you'd care to post pre and post takeoff rates :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[MacStill]

it might not be much, but with 2" boka's even 100ml an hour is a huge difference 8-}

I have no intention of proving the theory again in practical terms, I dont have time to stand by a still for 14 hours to measure in millilitres :))

[Pete8686]

Halfway through my run tonight I am able to take off 800ml an hr @ 94.5 - 95%. Previously I was only able to take off 4 - 500 ml an hr any quicker it dropped to about 92. This is without any adjustment to the slant plate, my packing in my first few runs was way too loose, this run I made up some copper mesh rolls that fit quite tightly into my column. Not sure if it makes much difference but using abit of logic I thought I'd bump the heat up a little figuring more vapours would rise and in turn more vapours would reflux allowing me to take off faster without reducing abv. Anyway back on topic, im going to scrap the idea of cutting grooves into my plate and creating a notch and go with something one of the guys on here suggested. I'll get a centering ring and place it up under the bottom plate, if the local plumber supply doesnt have one im guessing a reducer will do? Maybe 2' to 1' should do the trick

[Yummyrum]

Halfway through my run tonight I am able to take off 800ml an hr @ 94.5 - 95%. Previously I was only able to take off 4 - 500 ml an hr any quicker it dropped to about 92. This is without any adjustment to the slant plate, my packing in my first few runs was way too loose, this run I made up some copper mesh rolls that fit quite tightly into my column. Not sure if it makes much difference but using abit of logic I thought I'd bump the heat up a little figuring more vapours would rise and in turn more vapours would reflux allowing me to take off faster without reducing abv. Anyway back on topic, im going to scrap the idea of cutting grooves into my plate and creating a notch and go with something one of the guys on here suggested. I'll get a centering ring and place it up under the bottom plate, if the local plumber supply doesnt have one im guessing a reducer will do? Maybe 2' to 1' should do the trick

Pete , you have the reflux logic correct for a liquid management still :handgestures-thumbupleft: More heat = more reflux ....( for a constant take off rate )...and subsequently a higher ABV output

I can guarantee you that the local plumber supply will have NFI what a centering ring is ...don't even ask ;-) ..you have to make them :handgestures-thumbupleft:

The 2" end of a 2" to 1" reducer will be the same size as the 2" pipe so you will need to reduce its diameter to fit inside the 2" pipe ...a bench grinder should take easy care of this :D... just have a bucket of water nearby to keep dunking it into to keep it cool ;-)

[C2H6O]

This is a great tutorial if you want to give making a custom reducer a go..
viewtopic.php?f=41&t=6444

[MacStill]

efff yeah! being annealed you could tap it in for an almost perfect fit too.... top idea :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Pete8686]

Thanks for the link c2h60, I used to use a similar method when making ahem.. other contraptions in my youth. I think I will take the easy way out and grind a reducer down though :handgestures-thumbupleft: I didnt think the plumbing supply would be a great help lol thanks for all the help guys, slowly learning :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[MacStill]

Thanks for the link c2h60, I used to use a similar method when making ahem.. other contraptions in my youth. I think I will take the easy way out and grind a reducer down though :handgestures-thumbupleft: I didnt think the plumbing supply would be a great help lol thanks for all the help guys, slowly learning :handgestures-thumbupleft:

out of aluminium cans too I suppose :laughing-rolling:

[Yummyrum]

Thanks for the link c2h60, I used to use a similar method when making ahem.. other contraptions in my youth. I think I will take the easy way out and grind a reducer down though :handgestures-thumbupleft: I didnt think the plumbing supply would be a great help lol thanks for all the help guys, slowly learning :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Yeah , you will probably want to cut the bulk off with a hack saw first...but your a clever fella you'll work it out .

say , you weren't the prick that always cut the end off my garden hose were you ? :laughing-rolling:

[MacStill]

say , you weren't the prick that always cut the end off my garden hose were you ? :laughing-rolling:

I hope he didnt rip off your sprinkler too, just cause he was in a hurry :laughing-rolling:

[Pete8686]

:laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: Nah mate, I'm sure the folks got sick of buying new hoses though :handgestures-thumbupleft: ahh only afew hrs to go on the still, then afew hrs kip before work. The joys haha

[hillzabilly]

Hey dude ,ya did not mention the size of ya boiler,I am presumin its a 25lt brew shop one ,for faster out put I went to the 50lt beer keg.I also would strip ya wash quickly then do a slow spirit run .To get the 95% from a 10% wash is always going to be slow ,but try seeing how fast she will run stilllin 40% low wines to 95%.cheers hillzabilly ;-)

[Pete8686]

Nah its a 50l keg man, ive never tried stripping with my boka. I pretty much stripped the last 30l of my tpw last night ( mainly because it was 2 in the morning and had to work today lol) so im gonna see how that goes tonight. Cheers hillzabilly

[choppy]

When I was at school my mates dad sat us all down and asked why his hose no longer reached the garden beds at the beck of his yard.

Seemed it was getting shorter, 3 inches at a time.

We just shrugged our shoulders and kept eating Tim Tams.